Case Number 26125: Small Claims Court

TREK NATION (SPECIAL EDITION)

The Charge

A Father. A Life. A Legacy.

The Case

Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Jr didn't really know his father, at least not in
the way millions of Star Trek fans did. This man was simply "Dad," and
Rod was the rebellious teen who couldn't give a rats ass about Trek...until he
got older, and lost his father. When a multitude of people from all walks of
life showed up at Gene's funeral, and an outpouring of love and respect the
world over descended upon his family home, Rod realized there might be more to
Dad than he previously thought.

So he embarked on a multi-year mission of his own: To understand this "Great
Bird of the Galaxy" from the people who worked with him and knew him best. The
most logical place to start was with his mother, Majel Barrett
(Westworld), but that was pretty much a dead end. While she spends
countless hours attending fan conventions and talking passionately with fans,
she had very little to say about her late husband. Much of that reticence may be
due to the fact that their relationship was anything but idyllic. Gene was a
well-known womanizer who prided himself on the conquests he achieved. In fact,
Majel and Gene met when he was still married to his first wife, so I supposed
it's not too surprising the situation would be any different the second time
around. Rod digs deeper, trying to explore this aspect of his father with
others, but no one was comfortable discussing it.

Shifting gears, the investigation moves into Gene's early life, pre-Star
Trek: The Original Series, driven by a memoir-esque recording the elder
Roddenberry made in the late 1970s for fans. This includes Gene's time in the US
Air Force during WWII, his commercial piloting days for Pan Am, and his years as
an LAPD sergeant, all of which help to flesh out the portrait of a man whose
first spec script for Have Gun -- Will Travel blew long-suffering
industry people away. Thus begins the life of the man Star Trek fans
would come to know, love, and admire.

But this is not a documentary about Gene Roddenberry. This is Rod's story,
and it's a surprisingly effective one. A kid who didn't give a shit about
anything grows into a man fascinated with understanding and continuing his
father's legacy. Through this lens, we gain a unique perspective on the Trek
franchise. Sure, it's been explored and exploited for decades, but never have we
heard these sorts of deep insider discussions about the all-too human frailties
of science fiction legend. And though the truth often hurts, it's never
exploitive or incendiary. We are simply along for the ride as a son desperately
tries to know a father who has long since left this world...and it works.

Presented in standard def 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 2.0 Stereo,
MPI has partnered with Roddenberry to bolster what was already a compelling film
by providing an entire second disc full of slickly produced bonus
material...

* Video Commentary -- Rod and co-producer Trevor Roth provide running
commentary on the film and how the project evolved from what they originally set
out to create. While I'm not sure the video capture provides any significant
value, the commentary sheds an entirely new light on the material presented in
the film itself.

Don't be fooled by the title. This is not another Trekkies. Instead,
Trek Nation is a valuable addition to the list of films that pull back
the curtain on the entertainment industry to help understand what makes creative
people tick...warts and all. In case this, those lessons are learned post-mortem
through the eyes of a son who discovered a very different father than he knew
him to be, and a very different Sci-Fi legend than fans have long admired.